Six Nations: Scott Johnson confident his team can deliver in landmark year for Scottish sport

Kelly Brown and Scott Johnson at Six Nations launch in London (Image: Getty Images)

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SURF DUDE Scott Johnson is ready to ride the wave of Scottish sporting success with his rugby squad in 2014.

The national football team are on the up under Gordon Strachan, the Commonwealth Games are being held in Glasgow and the Ryder Cup is on its way to Gleneagles.

Aussie Johnson has vowed his oval ball boys won’t be found wanting as they prepare to launch their RBS Six Nations campaign in Dublin next weekend.

Scotland have not won the championship since 1999, when it was the Five Nations, and Johnson is aiming to improve on last year’s respectable third-placed showing, achieved after victories over Ireland and Italy.

Wales are favourites to land three in a row but France, who took the wooden spoon last time out, are traditionally strong after a Lions tour as travel and injury have often taken their toll on the home nations.

Scotland have few concerns on that front as only Stuart Hogg, Richie Gray and Ryan Grant made the trip Down Under last summer. And Johnson is convinced his team can deliver in potentially the greatest year in Scotland’s sporting history.

He said: “It’s a fantastic year for Scottish sport but I don’t think it’s an extra pressure. I’m happy to get my surfboard out and ride that wave. It’s a benefit, you like to get drawn into it. There are good stories to tell and it’s fantastic.

“In life you hear the negative more than the positive but the positive stories coming out about the successes the nation is enjoying are great.

“It also shows Scottish kids they are no different to anyone else in the world. That’s one of the things I keep saying to Scottish kids, ‘Try hard and train hard and you’ll be as good as anyone.’

“We’ve got a pretty settled squad going into this championship and now it’s a case of seeing if we can get settled performances as well.”

There’s the rub. Year after year Scotland have promised nothing but jam tomorrow and the last time they excelled at this level was in 2006 when they won three games under Frank Hadden against England, France and Italy.

Johnson is holding the fort before returning to the director of rugby role when Kiwi Vern Cotter takes over in summer. But as he approaches his second Six Nations he believes his squad are ready to fulfil their potential.

He added: “We’re not quite with the big boys yet because we do not have ample player resources to pick from. We’re still building a squad.

“We must get more consistent performances. I see glimpses of our game and we can compete with anyone. We just want to do it for longer.

“If we do that and are competitive there is growth in our team.

“There are two games in a rugby match, especially for Scotland. There’s the first 60 minutes and if you’re still in the competition at that point then there is scoreboard pressure. It suits us.

“We have to be in the competition at 60 minutes and if we can do that in all five games we will have a good Six Nations. Our 20-minute game is good.”

Ireland go into the Six Nations on a high. They ran New Zealand so close in the Autumn Tests only to lose with the last kick of the game.

But Scotland are buoyed by the memory of their victory over the Irish 12 months ago when Greig Laidlaw kicked all the points in a 12-8 win.

Johnson added: “Ireland threw the kitchen sink at us in the first half and we closed the door and took our chances. We must do the same again.”